


Loose Ends - Part #2 - Interim (Intermission)

by ImperfectOrphanage



Category: Subarashiki Kono Sekai | The World Ends With You
Genre: F/F, Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-14
Updated: 2016-12-14
Packaged: 2018-09-08 15:12:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 19,271
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8849869
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ImperfectOrphanage/pseuds/ImperfectOrphanage
Summary: Twewytober was a prompt challenge run in the Twewy tag on Tumblr.
There are four parts to the full series.
Part #1 - MinoruNeku Sakuraba has become the new Conductor of Shibuya and his first order of business is fucking things up as much as possible.
Part #2 - Interim (Intermission)There are some things that are easier than others, when cleaning up the mess in the middle of Shibuya’s UG.
Part #3 - GhostsAfter the trouble with Minoru, things were beginning to get back to normal until a series of anomalous numbers and a few text messages remind Neku Sakuraba that Shibuya is anything but.
Part #4 - IssuesSometimes, the things we bury the deepest are the first to surface.





	

**Twewytober Aside #9 – (between #23-#24 )**

 

The apartment smelled.

Well, maybe not the apartment. Neku sniffed at his collar. Yeah. It wasn’t the apartment.

Joshua was sitting beside him on the couch, one leg on the coffee table, and the other curled beneath him. The Composer also smelled terrible.

It had taken fifteen days to clean up the mess that was Minoru.

Fifteen days.

Three-hundred and sixty consecutive hours.

Two Games.

Neku was hungry. He knew Joshua was also as hungry but the Composer didn’t say much on his condition. They were both exhausted as they leaned on each other. Neku was resting with his back on Joshua’s side while his legs draped over the arm of the couch.

The smell was getting worse.

“So, is this why you don’t like getting dirty?”

Joshua made a noise suspiciously like a cat when waking up.

“We stink,” Neku said. “I mean, you smell like burnt cheese.”

Joshua dropped his head on Neku’s shoulder. “Ugh, you don’t exactly smell like a fresh spring breeze, either.”

“If I knew how much this job stank I wouldn’t have taken it.” Neku fell into Joshua’s lap. “Wait. I didn’t take this job, did I?”

“Once again,” Joshua sat up from Neku’s displacement, “you killed Kitaniji, not me.”

Neku hopped up from the couch and stretched. His muscles were sore down to the bone. “Whelp, I’m gonna take a shower.”

“Mm, I’ll join you in a few minutes.”

Neku snorted at the tease. “Yeah, okay.”

He entered the bathroom and immediately began to strip of his worn clothes. It wouldn’t do any good to clean them so he tossed each article into the trash. So long perfectly tailored blue shirt. Goodbye shiny black slacks bought on clearance two years ago.

Stepping into the shower, Neku twisted the knobs to the setting he preferred. There were little arrows on the metal knobs to tell Neku where his setting was, and another color of arrows for Joshua’s. They were drawn on in magic marker, and of course Joshua’s arrows were pink.

The water cascaded over Neku’s body. It felt wonderful. Every droplet of hot water caressed Neku’s skin and rinsed away the days of work and worry. Neku closed his eyes and sighed heavily as the water splashed over his face and neck.

He thought the shower curtain moved but it was probably from the air kicking on or something. The water continued to drown out the world until he heard Joshua.

“Don’t hog the shower, Neku. It’s rude.”

Neku sputtered as he dashed the water from his eyes. “What. What the hell. Why.”

He made the mistake of looking down.

He looked back up.

He looked back down.

“Uh…Josh…”

“Oh, Neku, you shouldn’t stare at it.” Joshua feigned innocence. “Though I should probably be jealous.”

Neku glanced down at his own before covering it with two hands and a washcloth. “GET OUT.”

“It’s not like I haven’t seen it before,” Joshua huffed and tugged the washcloth away. “Turn around and let me wash your back.”

He didn’t have the brain power to argue. A line of soap squirted onto his back and he hissed at the cold. Joshua began rubbing circles into Neku’s skin and the momentary chill was replaced by hot panic.

“I’m not going to molest you,” Joshua said.

“Good thing because I’m not having sex with you in the shower.”

Neku instantly regretted saying it the way he had.

“So the bedroom isn’t out of the question?”

“Shut. Up.”

Joshua’s giggle echoed against the tiled walls. His hands were gentle and not at all perverted as they washed Neku from top to bottom. Though they did rest a little too long on the bottom part.

“Hey,” Neku jerked away when Joshua’s hands started going up his legs, “gimme that.”

“Suit yourself,” Joshua said, and handed Neku the washcloth. “And worry not. I have plenty of other people to have sex with. I’ll be a complete and perfect gentleman.”

Neku finished washing up and rinsed out the blue washcloth. Once again, Joshua’s was pink.

A snap in the air was the only warning Neku had for the pink washcloth coming for his behind. It hit the skin with a slap and Neku whirled around with the want to punch Joshua in the face.

“Oops,” Joshua teased, “I slipped.”

Neku yanked the pink washcloth from Joshua. “Stop being an ass.”

“Only if you wash my back.” Joshua turned, held the wispy hair at the nape of his neck up, and giggled. “Neku~”

“Who have I pissed off to be subjected to this,” he muttered as he began washing from the curve of Joshua’s spine to the bend of his neck. Neku could see scarring on the Composer’s back. At least, Neku thought it was a scar until he leaned in for a better look.

There were super fine lines in the pale skin of Joshua’s shoulder blades. Neku traced one with his finger and drew a tiny wing. “Huh.”

“Stop touching those or I’ll start touching you,” Joshua warned. He meant it.

Neku tossed the washcloth over a hook. He took the bottle of shampoo they’d been sharing and squirted out a small dollop into his hand. It must have startled Joshua because the Composer flinched when Neku’s fingers began massaging his scalp.

“You know, I kinda like this,” Neku said. It was nice to have someone to be close to.

Joshua moaned softly. “If you weren’t a Conductor those fingers would be perfect in the finest salon. Damn, Neku, you’re making me shiver.”

“Sorry, is that bad?”

He peeked over his shoulder. “No. It’s nice. And I agree with you. I like this.”

“It’s weird though,” Neku scratched behind Joshua’s ears to elicit a yelp of pleasure, “’cause I’d expect to have to have sex or something.”

“True. We do kiss, though. You seem to enjoy kissing.”

Neku laughed. “Yeah, but only you. I mean, I like kissing you. Uh, I haven’t kissed anyone else, so, yeah…”

Joshua giggled as he gently nudged past Neku to rinse his hair and body. “I can’t say I would be jealous if you were kissing another. I do love multiple partners.”

“Wait, what,” Neku stood unmoving, confused, “what do you mean?”

A messy curl of hair slapped Joshua in his face when he turned to Neku. “What’s not to understand? I do believe I told you before how passion is so much better in the UG. Hm, I have had up to five-no six…”

“Ew, gross.” Neku stuck his tongue out. “Guys?”

“Girls, guys, some in-between,” Joshua shrugged, “there were so many arms and legs it was hard to tell who had what where. But oh, it felt as if I were being worshipped in the middle of all those kisses.”

Neku frowned. He happened to look down at the wrong time. “Uhm, would you like to be alone?”

Joshua blinked, surprised. He glanced down as well. “Oh, hello there.”

“It’s,” Neku smirked, “kinda cute. He’s tiny.”

“OUT NOW,” Joshua barked. “Don’t you ever refer to him as tiny.”

Neku folded his arms across his chest. “What, do you call it your little Composer?”

Joshua’s face flushed with anger. “Absolutely not. How dare you.”

“Ha, I bet you do!” Neku slapped his hands on his legs. “You call it Mr. Composer, don’t you?”

A growl was Joshua’s response. He was red enough to explode. “Neku Sakuraba-“

“It’s okay, Josh, I completely understand. But do you call your right hand Megumi?”

Joshua froze. His eyes were wide and his hands were shaking.

Neku’s amusement fell. “Uh, Josh, I was just-“

The lights flicked off. The shower grew cold. Neku tripped out of the shower and tangled up in the curtain as it tore from the wall. He tumbled around in an attempt to free himself.

A soft thump landed next to his ear and he stilled.

“I was kidding! Learn to take a joke-“ Neku shivered.

There was a tongue on his neck. A tongue.

“Oh, I can take a joke, Sakuraba-san.” Joshua’s voice was musical. “But I wonder if you’ll be in a teasing mood once I’ve kissed you senseless on every inch of skin you possess.”

“Hey, I don’t want to-“

“The only place I won’t kiss you, is on your little Conductor.”

Neku flailed in the grip of the shower curtain. His arms were yanked up above his head by two steady hands. He wanted to run but he couldn’t get his legs to work.

Joshua was laying on top of him. Neku fought the urge to vomit.

“I don’t-“

The lights came back on. Joshua was on the other side of the bathroom. Neku was still tangled in a curtain.

Neku pulled free and rolled onto his stomach. He glared at Joshua with all the anger of a puppy locked outside in a rainstorm.

Joshua smiled brightly. “I was just having a little fun, Neku. Can’t you take a joke?”

“I’m going to kill you,” Neku growled, flying up from the floor to chase Joshua out of the bathroom and into the hall of the apartment.

The Composer was laughing until he reached the kitchen. “Oh, good evening, Sanae.”

Neku froze mid-stride.

Hanekoma was leaned against the counter with a cup of coffee in his hand. He eyed Neku up and down before turning his attention on Joshua.

“Did I interrupt or were we going to collaborate tonight?”

He said collaborate with his free hand making quotes.

Neku still hadn’t moved, but the urge to leap out onto the balcony and down to the streets below was beginning to get worse.

“What do you think?” Joshua twirled a lock of hair around his finger. “Sanae’s much better at sex than he will ever be at making coffee.”

“Hey,” Hanekoma argued.

“Yeah, no, never, hell no, ain’t happening EVER,” Neku said. He grabbed a pillow from a lounge chair and hid behind it as he inched toward the bedroom and the safety of the walk-in closet.

The sound of laughter danced after him.

* * *

  
  
**Twewytober Prompt #24 – Waaaaaaaaah! Spider!**

  
With Shibuya put back together and Minoru dealt with, Neku again had free time to study. There were several books he hadn’t even glanced at yet, and several more with bookmarks and broken spines. He was currently reading from a book with a blue-green cover etched with silver. It was a detailed Noise report, with every single Noise in the current Games as well as past Noise listed as retired. Neku skimmed through the pictures and stats for each Noise, coming to an odd conclusion.

“There’s no bugs,” he said. “Is there a reason for that?”

Joshua was laying in repose on his beige fainting couch. It was a new edition since they couldn’t get the stink out of the old sofa. He had a book over his face and his arms folded over his stomach. A muffled “what?” was his only response.

“The Noise in this book,” Neku tapped the cover, “are all mammals and fish and things. But there’s no insects or butterflies. Well, there’s bats and things, but not one decent spider.”

The book over Joshua’s face fell to the floor when Joshua sat up. “Absolutely no insects.”

“Yeah, I mean-“

He turned to Neku with a serious expression. “No, Neku. I will not have those disgusting creatures roaming about my beautiful Shibuya. I hate bugs.”

Neku frowned. “Oh, come on, Josh. You had to have played with bugs as a kid, right?”

“Ew,” he huffed, “I wouldn’t lower myself to such a level.”

“But there are lots of frogs in here,” Neku held the book up, “so you played with those?”

“I may have caught my share of frogs as a kid,” he said, waving his hand. “But it doesn’t matter. I happen to enjoy reptiles. I loathe insects.”

Neku plunked the book down on the table and moved to lean on the back of the couch. “C’mon, Josh. Insects are needed to make things grow. Like bumblebees and spiders. Spiders eat the bad ones.”

“Don’t mention spiders,” Joshua sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose. “I detest them most of all.”

“I can’t say I’m too surprised,” Neku said. He then got a terrible, lowdown, dirty idea. It grew in him like a weed and it screamed for action. Neku grinned.

“So,” he started slyly, “if you don’t like spiders so much, why is there one on your shoulder?”

Joshua shrieked.

He shrieked like a prepubescent child and jumped off the couch. He slapped at his shoulder and whirled in a circle screaming, “Wahhhhhhhhh SPIDER….!”

Neku couldn’t stand due to his laughter. He curled down onto his knees and exploded with fits of giggles until his sides and chest hurt.

Joshua continued flailing about until he’d removed his favorite pink button up and stomped on it. “Is it dead? Is it dead? Neku-“

He was still laughing. “Oh, your face. I can’t.”

A chill swept through the room. Neku had learned it meant Joshua was pissed, and though it had frightened him before, it only served to stimulate more laughter.

Joshua stood above him, shirtless and rumpled, with his hands on his slender hips. “You think you are so funny, don’t you, Neku?”

“But I am,” he squeaked. His chest ached. “Oh, come on. It’s no different from you hiding in my closet.”

The Composer looked to the left. “I wasn’t hiding in your closet.”

“You pretended to be the ghost of Megumi.” Neku stood up to face Joshua. “You were moaning about how terrible my fashion sense is and how I should try on a dress.”

“Well I only had your best interests at heart. You have the waist and the legs for a dress.”

“How is wanting to dress me in drag-“

“No, Neku. It’s not drag. You really should learn to be more sensitive. It’s exploring your sexuality.”

Neku huffed. “I don’t have sexuality.”

“Hm, you’re right. But you would still look nice in a dress.”

Neku could see Joshua shivering. It could have been from the adrenaline of a false spider attack, or it could have been because he was shirtless. Either way, it made Joshua look fragile. Neku closed the distance between them and placed a hand on Joshua’s chest.

“Are you cold?” He asked, his voice a whisper.

Joshua smiled. “I’ll be alright, Neku. My shirt might not be, but I am.”

“I just thought, y’know,” he was still so new to initiating contact, “we could wrap up in a blanket and sit in front of the fireplace-like last week.”

“Last week we had lobster sushi and steak,” Joshua said. He reached up to take Neku’s hand. “What was it we had for dessert?”

“Ah,” Neku remembered with a warm flush in his skin, “chocolate. But that’s only because you got me tipsy again and I allowed you to make a mess.”

Joshua grinned like a cat. “Oh, come on, Neku. You enjoyed it when I kissed it off of your neck.”

“I don’t know if living with you is the best thing for my soul. You’re corrupting me.”

“Neku, Neku, Neku,” he clicked his tongue. “You should have thought of that before giving me my heart back. I love you. You are the only one I can really trust to deal with me at my worst.”

Neku could feel the warmth and love coming off of Joshua in waves of music. “Yeah, uh, thanks. I mean, it’s weird though, isn’t it? You killed me twice.”

“It made you stronger and better able to deal with the world around you.” Joshua glided away from Neku to dig in one of the closets. He pulled out a patchwork quilt and wrapped it around his shoulders.

“You’re right,” Neku sighed, “but it was still hard for me.”

Joshua came to wrap Neku up in the blanket as well. “The Game is hard on everyone.”

Neku relaxed against Joshua and melted into his embrace. “Why do I feel like this around you?”

“It could be the music of Shibuya. It could be the bond a Conductor has with his Composer. Or,” Joshua placed his head in the crook of Neku’s neck, “it could be because you do actually love me. It’s okay to love one another, Neku.”

“Yeah, I guess,” Neku slid his arms around Joshua’s back, “but it’d be the first time.”

“There’s a first time for everything.” Joshua smiled, his lips grazing Neku’s throat.

Neku shivered. He placed his head on Joshua’s shoulder and closed his eyes. When he opened them again he saw a set of eight beady eyes staring back. “Uh, Josh?”

“Yes, Neku?”

“There’s a spider on you.”

“Ha ha, very funny.”

“No, there’s actually a spider on you. I’m not kidding.”

“Sure you aren’t.” Joshua leaned back to give Neku a wink. “As if I’m going to fall-“

The spider shimmed up Joshua’s face.

He froze.

Neku winced as he knew what was coming next.

“WAAAAAAAAAH! SPIDER! KILL IT WITH FIRE!”

* * *

  
  
**Twewytober Aside #10 – (between #24 - #25 )**

 

“Have you taken him out on a date yet?”

Joshua looked up from his sewing to the excited faces of Shiki and Eri. He had been hanging out with the girls off and on over the course of a few weeks. It gave Neku a bit of downtime to hang out with Beat and Rhyme, and to help the meathead find a university to go to.

“What do you mean?” Joshua was holding a pair of trousers in his hands. The girls had told him how fine his fingers were and he agreed to help them get ready for an upcoming fashion show. “Neku?”

Eri rolled her eyes. “Of course, Joshua. It’s not like it’s a secret or anything. He practically follows you around like a cute puppy. Neku even hesitates when you part ways.”

“You must be mistaken,” he laughed it off, returning to the detailed stitching.

“It’s nothing to be ashamed of,” Shiki said as she draped dark, shimmery fabric over a dress form. “Eri and I have been on a few dates. Oh! Maybe you should buy him some flowers.”

“Or make them,” Eri teased, and Shiki blushed. “Shiki makes these really beautiful silk roses. You can hardly tell they’re fake!”

“Liar,” Shiki poked Eri with a pin, “you’re embarrassing me.”

Joshua pulled the thread through another stitch and stilled. “I don’t think he would like flowers. Neku isn’t the sort of person to enjoy beauty in a traditional sense.”

“Well, he does like art,” Shiki said, tapping her chin with a finger. “I don’t think he likes sweets either.”

Eri shook her head. “He barely touched the pie we served when he was here last.”

“He does like chicken nuggets.” Shiki tucked a bit of fabric to one side of the dress form and pinned it in place. “You could take him out to a nice restaurant.”

“I have,” Joshua sighed. His fingers ached a bit. If he could use his Composer powers the trousers would be done in seconds. “Neku and I frequently enjoy all sorts of delicious cuisine.”

Shiki frowned. She knelt down to hem some of the fabric while Eri began marking it with a dressmaker pencil. “What else have you done?”

“We have chess on Tuesdays with pizza. Wednesday is Neku’s game night. He’s been teaching me about retro gaming and platformers.” Joshua paused in his work. “Thursdays are usually when we go out on the town and Fridays we stay at home. Mondays are too busy to do much. Neku has…work.”

“Hm,” Eri folded her arms, “what about Saturday? It’s the best day to go clubbing.”

“Clubbing,” Joshua drew the word out as if it were foreign. To him it might as well have been. Despite Shibuya being known for her nightlife, Joshua had never had the urge to go stand in a crowd of sweaty, loud people rubbing against each other.

“Oh, right!” Shiki clapped her hands. “Eri and I have a reservation at the new nightclub that just opened up. We’re a little young to be there but the owner likes our work. It was a gift. I bet he’d let you two come if I showed him you’re our models.”

Joshua looked down at his work. “I’m not so sure Neku would go for it.”

“Yeah, he does seem to enjoy the quiet,” Eri said. She yelped when she accidentally snipped her finger with a pair of shears. Sucking on the end of her finger she tapped her foot on the carpet. “I’ve got it! A surprise date! Ooh! We could dress you both up separately. Neku would go for it if Shiki asked him to go with her.”

“Yes!” Shiki nodded excitedly. “We’ll tell him I have a meeting with a client and I wanted him to come along because I was nervous about going alone. When you two show up, it’ll be a surprise!”

“Though it sounds tempting, I can dress myself, ladies.”

“Oh, no. You’ve never been clubbing. You have to look the part.” Eri came to stand over Joshua. “You can’t just throw on a Pavo Real shirt and think it’s cool. No, no. You need to have a bit of punk in your look.”

Joshua blinked. “I would never-“

“But, Joshua,” Shiki gave him an innocent look, “you’d do it for Neku, wouldn’t you?”

“I suppose,” he whispered. “I will only agree to it if we both match and if you allow me to buy dinner.”

“It’s a date!” The girls chorused in unison.

Joshua took a deep breath.

For Neku.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was Saturday afternoon, and Joshua was losing his edge.

The girls had glommed onto him the minute he showed up to their apartment. He was flung into a chair at a rather beat up vanity in the cluttered bathroom. Eri had been selected to help him with his hair while Shiki gathered an outfit from their overstuffed closet.

Actually it had been a second bedroom but with both girls it had become a dressing arena.

“What to do,” Eri hummed, circling Joshua. “How about a color change?”

“Over my dead body.”

“Ooohkay. Silver is sort of in.” She ran her hand over the bottles and jars on the vanity. Picking up a large, plastic jar, she twisted it open and took a sniff. “Yep. A little hair gel. It smells super nice.”

Joshua could smell it. At least it wasn’t flowery. “Are you going to slick my hair back?”

“Nope. Now close your eyes.”

He did as asked. Within seconds he felt the cold gel being worked into his wispy hair by skilled fingers. It was apparent Joshua wasn’t Eri’s first client. His scalp tingled and his hair never pulled. Her fingers twisted and twirled Joshua’s hair, ending each lock with a pinch.

“Aaannnd…just a moment…”

Joshua kept his eyes shut. He could feel a small comb flicking through his hair.

“Alright! You can look now.”

His eyes fluttered open.

“W-well,” he said, touching the end of a spike, “it’s different.”

“It’s one of the latest hairstyles for J-pop stars. I hope you don’t mind the tips. It’ll wash out after a couple shampoos,” she rattled on.

Joshua had stopped listening to her the moment he noticed the jet black tips on the ends of his hair. It wasn’t unlike Neku’s usual do, but instead of thick clumps of hair sticking every which way, Joshua’s hair was neatly wove and pointed. It was oddly nice.

“Do you like it?” Eri was holding a mirror out for Joshua. “I thought we could try a little makeup or an earring or something sparkly.”

He turned in the chair with the mirror held out. The back of his hair looked like an ocean wave. “Makeup? Where would you be putting makeup? My skin is flawless.”

Eri twirled him back around and snatched the mirror away. “Yeah, but your eyelashes are a little short, your cheeks make you look anemic, and those lips. Honey, we have got a lot of work to do.”

“You said earrings-“

“Don’t worry, clip ons are still popular.”

Joshua shivered. He was finally beginning to understand why Neku tended to avoid the girls on the weekend.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

At exactly eight o’clock, Joshua took Eri by the arm and left for the club. He had spared no expense, and rented a rather nice luxury car. His ‘date’ was dressed in a selection of dark fabrics both soft and shimmery. She wore a velvet choker with a silver bell dangling from the middle. Her hair was messily bundled in a short up do, and her makeup was on point.

Joshua had to hand it to the two girls. They thought of every detail.

His own clothes were uncomfortable, but looked the part of a fancy partygoer. His shirt was black silk with silver dancing along the edges. It was buttoned up to his belly button but no more. At his throat was a similar choker to Eri’s, but instead of a simple bell, there were chains hanging in loops from the neck to his navel.

“Are you sure I can’t-“

“No. Jackets.”

Joshua sighed and attempted to cross his legs but with one glaring look from Eri he relaxed. The trousers had been pressed and shined.

“I feel like a fool.”

Eri giggled.

The car pulled up to the night club. It was a new establishment opened not too long after the Minoru incident. Joshua could hear the pulsing music beyond the doors. There were two bouncers at the ready and a valet to open the door for them. He exited gracefully and took Eri by the arm.

They didn’t even need to stop at the entrance. The bouncers nodded to Eri and opened the plush doors to let the two of them in.

Joshua swallowed hard. It was completely out of his element.

“I suppose Sunshine would have been frowned upon.”

Eri slapped his arm. “You want to impress him, don’t you?”

“There are far better ways to impress Neku. A crayon drawing, perhaps.”

The club had a dance floor in the middle, a stage at the front, and two levels of dining that ringed the room. Eri explained that the upper level was for the owner and his colleagues. The lower level was for the elite and the guests of the owner.

They had a table just inside of the entrance that overlooked the dance floor. Eri had requested it because Shiki and her would sit and watch the newest fashions unfold below them.

Joshua pulled Eri’s seat out and helped her scoot closer to the table when she sat.

“Thank you,” she said, placing her silver clutch on the table. “I hope you didn’t mind the shoes.”

He glanced down at the platform boots she’d wrestled onto his feet. “Certainly not. It makes me feel tall.”

Not that he needed to, considering the whole Composer thing…

“Neku and Shiki should be here in fifteen minutes. I’m sorta excited,” she bubbled over with happiness, “aren’t you?”

Joshua played with the napkin on the table. “I’m more nervous. Neku might not like this.”

“He likes you,” Eri pointed out with a smile. “I think he loves you.”

A waiter sidled up to the table and set out two tall glasses of bubbling liquor. It smelled expensive.

Joshua took a glass, thanked the waiter, and took a sip.

It was expensive. A vintage he rarely dipped into because it was so rare. “How-“

“I know people,” was all Eri said.

If Joshua’s Game made these sorts of things popular and accessible, perhaps he should cut back to one or two in a year.

The bass thumped against the walls and the writhing mass of color in the center floor continued to cheer the band on. Joshua didn’t recognize the talent, but there was a backdrop of Hanekoma’s behind them.

He took another sip of wine, his vision filled with swirling bubbles and gold. A shadow fell over him and he set the glass down, thinking it might have been the waiter.

“Hey,” Neku’s voice. It was deeper than usual.

Joshua shifted in the chair to throw out a quick hello and froze upon seeing his beloved Conductor.

“I think we did good,” Shiki poked Eri with her elbow, “really really good!”

Neku was practically glowing with embarrassment. He rubbed the back of his neck and avoided eye contact.

It was probably for the best. If Joshua focused on Neku’s face he might have been lost there the rest of the evening, and it wouldn’t do to ignore Neku’s fashion. He was dressed in a rather striking suit with rough edges on the jacket and shortened sleeves. It also had silver dancing along the seams. Joshua could see Neku’s hands had been manicured and his wrists were lined with leather cuffs and silver jewelry.

Neku’s shoes were rather comfortable looking black boots that had been shined to the point that if Joshua looked down he could see his reflection. Not only that, but Neku’s trouser cuffs shivered on the shoe. It was perfectly tailored to fit.

Joshua turned his attention to Neku’s face and hair. He hadn’t been spared the makeup either, but Shiki had taken liberty with a little glitter on the cheeks and some sparkly mascara on the lashes. Neku’s hair was neatly combed and slicked back, giving Joshua a perfect view of his face and neck.

A long, silver chain hung from Neku’s left ear, and another chain linked the earring to a cuff at the top.

“You’re,” Joshua rose from his seat, “perfect.”

Neku turned a deep shade of red. “Uhm, yeah, thanks. I mean, you…you look nice.”

Joshua quickly snapped out of his adoration of Neku and pulled a chair out for Neku. “Here, sit. The wine is delicious.”

“I don’t know if it’s wise-“ Neku had begun to argue.

Shiki-who was sitting so close to Eri they might as well have shared a seat-made a noise and waved her hands at Neku. “Oh, stop. Live a little, Neku!”

“I guess,” Neku said, taking the seat Joshua had offered. “I mean, you guys did go to a lot of trouble. Though, I didn’t know it was a date date.”

“We had to fib,” Eri explained, “or you wouldn’t have come.”

Neku glanced at Joshua. “I don’t know about that.”

The Composer gave a nervous laugh. “Thank you, Neku.”

It didn’t take long for dinner to be well underway. Joshua had to show Neku how to eat without making a total mess of his outfit, and the girls had completely checked out of the foursome and were now giggling and feeding each other expensive steak.

“They are cute,” Joshua said, cutting a small piece of steak. “I feel a bit awkward.”

“Meh,” Neku took a bite of food and shrugged, “I’m just glad they’re happy. I kinda had an inkling that it was more than friendship. Those two are perfect together.”

Joshua smiled and continued eating. Once the plates were cleared, the girls went to dance below, leaving the two boys alone. Joshua wasn’t sure what to do. He hadn’t been on a date in-well, ever.

“Neku, have you been on a date before?”

“No, you?” Neku reached out to touch Joshua’s hand. “I feel silly. Almost ungrounded.”

“It’s the music,” Joshua explained. “This place is new.. Shibuya is feeling it out.”

Neku nodded. He was silent.

Joshua leaned on the table with one hand propping up his chin. “I suppose now is as good a time as any to talk about what we’ve been avoiding.”

“And that’s what?” Neku fidgeted with the tablecloth.

“We have barely talked about Minoru. What happened during the convergence and what happened after. Surely you have some questions for me.”

“Not really,” Neku said a bit too quickly. He bit his lip. “Well, I did meet someone.”

“Oh?” Joshua’s fingers curled around Neku’s.

“Yeah, she called me a peanut and gave me her Noise form to save you.”

Joshua tensed. “Atsume? You met her?”

“She told me what happened, Josh. It’s okay,” Neku squeezed Joshua’s hand, “I understand. Minoru was manipulating you and she didn’t blame you.”

“Didn’t?” Joshua felt a lump form in his throat. “Do you mean-“

Neku smiled. “She’s in the music now. If it hadn’t been for her I wouldn’t have made it to you.”

“Always the self-sacrifice,” Joshua sighed. “Atsume was a pushover. I admit I was a bit harsh with her but I did trust her. Unfortunately, Minoru knew I could never hurt her.”

“It’s okay.” Neku scooted his chair closer. “I think it worked out.”

Joshua looked up into Neku’s gentle eyes. “I hope it did.”

“What’dya mean by ‘hope’?”

The Composer pulled his hand away and folded both of them in his lap. “I have made my share of enemies not only in the UG, but the Higher Plane and elsewhere. I fear Minoru was only the first of those who might come for revenge. I shouldn’t have put you in the position of protector without letting you know.”

“Hey, I don’t care,” Neku shrugged, “’cause I’m not afraid of them. If we can get through a angel who’s gone off the deep end, I think we can handle anything. And I have a Noise form now. I just need to get better at all the technicals.”

Joshua laughed. “My brave warrior.”

“I’m serious, Josh. I’m in this with you for the long haul. I’m not going to let anything happen to you or to Shibuya. I care for both of you.”

“Of course you do,” Joshua said, bittersweet. “Your entrance fee was Shibuya in the battle against Minoru.”

“Are you jealous?” Neku leaned in. “You are! You’re jealous it wasn’t you!”

Joshua felt his face grow warm. “Maybe I am.”

“And you call me stupid,” Neku snorted. “You’re apart of Shibuya you freaking moron.”

“What?”

Neku rolled his eyes. He slapped a hand on either side of Joshua’s face. “Look at me. You are Shibuya to me you stupid ass.”

Joshua inhaled. He caught the scent of cologne and the heady rush of Neku’s music washed over him. “Neku, you-“

A simple kiss. It wasn’t the kiss shared after battle or the one days later when they were both so exhausted it was all they could do to ground themselves. No, this kiss was sweet. It was gentle and loving.

“Neku,” Joshua breathed against Neku’s mouth, “we shouldn’t-“

“Fuck people,” Neku said. He grabbed Joshua’s collar and pressed a hungry kiss to his mouth. “C’mon, Josh.”

Joshua hesitantly reached out to wrap an arm around Neku’s shoulders. He leaned into Neku and parted his lips, allowing Neku to brush his tongue on the inside of his mouth. Neku didn’t show any sign of slowing down as he pulled Joshua’s tongue into his mouth.

“N-neku.” Joshua’s eyes went wide at the sudden passion Neku was displaying. It was hungry and violent, and the force at which Neku was kissing Joshua made the room swirl and spin.

The music around them sang a chorus of melodies.

Joshua yanked away from the kiss. It wasn’t Neku. It was the music.

“What? Why’d-“

He placed a hand on Neku’s mouth. “We should probably go. Shibuya is unstable in new establishments.”

“So? I’m unstable watching you.” Neku grinned catlike and his eyes were daring Joshua. “One more kiss?”

Joshua shook his head. He took Neku by the hand and led him from the nightclub and onto the city streets. The evening was cool and it felt good against Joshua’s flushed face. His arm wound around Neku’s and they traveled a few feet down the sidewalk.

“Wow,” Neku said suddenly, “I feel weird.”

“I should have remembered. In new establishments the music of Shibuya hasn’t grounded. If she accepts a place it will level out, but if she’s unsure of the establishment’s future, she will float loosely around it. Unfortunately, Neku, you were caught up in a storm of chaos.”

Neku slapped at his face. “I feel drunk.”

“Oh, no. You’ve been drunk before. I would know,” Joshua teased.

He guided Neku to a bench outside of a clothing store long since closed for the night. “We can rest here and return home once you’re a bit more settled.”

“I liked it.”

Joshua tilted his head. “Really?”

“I mean, it might just be Shibuya, or the fact I’m just a baby Conductor, but I liked it.” Neku gave him a large, goofy smile. “You tasted good.”

“Yes, and you smell delicious but I don’t think we should con-“

Neku gave him another kiss. “Josh, do you think we’ll be together for a while?”

“What do-“ Joshua laughed. “You silly Neku. The only way I’m going to let you go is if the world falls down around us.”

“Promise?”

Joshua wrapped an arm around Neku and pulled him into a gentle embrace. “I promise. You trust me, right?”

“I trust you, Joshua,” Neku’s voice was soft. It tickled Joshua’s neck.

“Good. I think we should steer clear of nightclubs. Wouldn’t you agree?”

Neku didn’t respond. He had fallen into a light sleep.

“You are a baby Conductor,” Joshua whispered. He tucked Neku closer and held him while the night continued to roll by.

Above were the stars, about them was music, and before them was a long future.

At least, that was what Joshua hoped.

* * *

  
  
**Twewytober Prompt #25 – Erase your partner**

 

Another Monday had come and Joshua had decided to take a walk through his beautiful city while Neku lay out the rules of the Game. Joshua and Hanekoma stood off to the side, frequencies raised, to watch Neku talk to the fifty-six Players of the week.

“And the biggest thing to remember,” Neku had one hand on his hip and the other flailed in the air, “never, never, never fall for the Erase Your Partner trick. There is no reason a Reaper should give you a mission unless they’re the current Game Master-and you will know the difference. If you fall for it, or if you just decide to be a prick and Erase your partner, then you also get Erased. Unless-“

Neku paused. He looked over the crowd in warning. “Unless I hear about it before you disappear. It won’t be pretty, trust me. This Game is meant to teach you good values. Cheating, screwing up other Players directly, refusing to play at all, and any bad behavior will get you nothing. Except a visit from the Harriers. I have them on point for those things. Got it?”

The crowd of young men and women glanced at each other in fear.

“Good. Partner up and have, uh, fun,” Neku said. He shot his frequency up to the highest UG level and walked away from the quickly dispersing crowd.

“He’s doing well,” Joshua said to Hanekoma. “Wouldn’t you agree?”

“Yeah, creativity is certainly on the rise.” The barista laughed. “At least he’s not wearin’ rags.”

“I had a talk with him about it. I threatened to make him wear all Natural Puppy for a year.”

Hanekoma snorted. “I’d love to see it.”

“I’m sure you would,” Joshua teased and started leisurely down the sidewalk. “The city is glowing, Sanae.”

“Yep,” he agreed, “she certainly is. Ah, right, did’cha check yer mail?”

Joshua paused to snap out his phone. “What am I looking for?”

“You’ll see it.”

The screen filled with hundreds of new messages. Joshua had placed filters into his mail program, and many of the emails shot off into different folders. There was one folder almost always showing zero emails.  
Except for today. Lovely.

“I see. The Higher Ups wish to see us, hm? It’s about Minoru, isn’t it?”

Hanekoma scratched his neck. “Yeah. They’re kinda wanting him back.”

“Oh,” Joshua said, not sounding surprised at all. “Where did I put him? Was it the rice stand or the new clothing store near Molco?”

“That’s not funny, boss.”

“I’m not intending to be comedic, Sanae. I honestly forgot where I put his energy to use. It might have even been at the sweet potato cart…”

Hanekoma frowned. “We’re gonna be in trouble if ya don’t find ‘im.”

“No, no. You won’t be in trouble,” Joshua explained, walking past Hanekoma, “I’ll be in trouble. I wonder how much more they’ll censure my power and ability to make decisions. They might as well give Neku the job.”

“I don’t think he’d be a good Composer.”

Joshua twirled around, expression light and happy. “Aw, thanks for the vote of confidence, Sanae.”

“Heh, yeah, okay.”

“Whatever. I have some business to attend to. Please make sure Neku isn’t trying to help the Players this week with secret text messages. As if I can’t read his phone…”

Joshua didn’t wait for a reply, he disappeared around the corner and continued walking as slow as possible. The day was beautiful and the city sang her song. Players were running to and fro, and Joshua couldn’t have been happier to be alive.

Well, dead. Sort of.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Neku was completely wiped by the end of the day. After all the paperwork and supervising he’d had to do it was a wonder he didn’t fall asleep in the middle of the Scramble. Instead he was hanging out with a few of the Reapers, Higashizawa and Minamimoto in particular, looking for apartments.

He had asked Joshua about upgrading their living arrangements and oddly the Composer agreed. According to Joshua, if his Reapers didn’t have to worry so much about the details, they would be more focused on Erasing Players. Neku tried to push for the point system to be reevaluated but Joshua stood firm on it.

At least the Reapers got more money now. Neku had to take small victories where he could.

“How about this one?” Neku pointed out a photograph in one of the many real estate magazines he had. “It’s a furnished five room studio. The space is a bit small but it has a lot of built ins for storage. It’s at least three to four times larger than what you have.”

“The kitchen is useless,” Higashizawa said.

Neku looked at the kitchen specs and frowned. “Damn. It would be hard to cook for a crew with that.”

“I’m sure we could manage,” Minamimoto interjected. “Subtract this from the equation and divide this room by three, and we could add appliances there and there.”

“I don’t know if they’d let you make those kinds of changes since it’s rented.” Neku thumbed through the magazine to another dog eared page. “This one is a little smaller but it has a nice kitchen and a full bath. Lemme see here…it’s not for rent. We’d have to pool our money and-“

A wall Reaper raised his hand. “Our?”

“Oh, I’m gonna help you guys out until it’s all sorted. Heck, living with-“ He bit his tongue to silence. “I mean, sharing space with another dude is sorta helping my wallet.”

“Sweet,” Minamimoto punched the table, “we’d be able to get this one.”

Neku titled his head to look under the math man’s fist. “Uh. I think that’s a little too, uhm…”

“Abstract,” another wall Reaper said.

“Yeah,” Neku said, pulling the magazine away, “it’s not good on space. There’s too many angles to put furniture and bedding in there.”

Before Minamimoto could object, Neku’s phone rang. It was the Joshua specific ringtone of a crying baby. “Crap, I gotta take this.”

He pulled away from the group who instantly went back into debating kitchen, bath, or artistic design. Neku shook his head, placed the phone to one ear and a hand to the other. “Yeah?”

“We have a problem. I need you home,” Joshua’s voice was strained. “It isn’t an emergency but I do need to see you as soon as possible. Hanekoma is here, too.”

“This isn’t a thinly veiled attempt to seduce me into a threesome again, is it?”

Joshua didn’t laugh. He didn’t tease Neku either. “Come home, Neku.”

“Alright, I’ll be there in fifteen.” Neku paused. “Josh?”

“Yes?”

“I…uhm…nothing goodbye.”

He hung the phone up quickly. Damnit. Neku still couldn’t say it.

“Sorry, guys, I’ll have to come back later. Just keep the magazines and make a list of what you’ll want. I’ll be back tomorrow after the Game.”

The Reapers all waved or made a non-committal salutation. Minamimoto and Higashizawa were now arguing about the color of paint in the bathroom.

Maybe it was a good thing Neku got called home.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“They want to what?!”

Joshua winced. It was the third time Neku had shrieked in fifteen minutes. “Neku, please, you’re going to make my ears bleed.”

“God I’m sorry but the Higher Ups want me to be interim Composer? I think that’s a valid excuse for screaming in my book,” Neku shouted.

The Composer watched as he paced back and forth. “Neku, please calm down. It isn’t unprecedented. They did it in China a few times, and I believe Texas.”

“North Dakota,” Hanekoma said.

“No, I’m sure it was Minnesota,” Joshua returned.

“I don’t care if it was freakin’ Timbuktu,” Neku growled. “I can’t be a Composer! I can’t even be a Conductor!”

Joshua continued to watch as Neku exhausted himself with pacing and mumbling about how stupid the Higher Ups were, and how infuriating Joshua was.

“What if,” Neku stopped pacing, “I decide not to do it?”

Hanekoma was in the kitchen leaning against the counter facing the living area. “Yeah, you could but then they’d sent someone like Minoru to take over.”

“Neku,” Joshua rose from the couch to place a hand on his Conductor’s arm, “it really is the best solution. The Higher Ups have had it out for me for quite a while. I’ll still be the one in control but I have to vet everything through you and Hanekoma. Otherwise I’m not allowed.”

“This is fucked up on so many levels I can’t even.” Neku grunted as he sat down hard on the couch. “This is just fucked up enough to be normal. This is my afterlife. I’m living with a six year old and a guy who makes marginally good coffee.”

“HEY,” Hanekoma barked.

Joshua laughed. “I am not six years old, Neku. I would say I act more like eleven.”

“This. Isn’t. Funny.”

“Oh, it is because you’re face is cute,” Joshua teased. He didn’t expect Neku to suddenly be in his face.

“I’m not happy about this, Josh,” Neku growled, “I’m not at all happy.”

Joshua knew it was foolish. It was like poking a bear with a stick. But he couldn’t help it. He kissed Neku on the nose and grinned. “There, all better?”

It was a good thing Hanekoma was in the room. Joshua was sure the anger rising on Neku’s face would have caused the boy to beat the Composer with the New Standard Dictionary of English. He stepped back to give Neku a little space.

Neku exhaled as if the world were on his shoulders. He plunked back down on the couch and buried his face in his hands. “Does everything have to be so difficult?”

“It won’t be difficult,” Joshua sat down and placed an arm around Neku, “because I’ll be with you.”

“Yeah, I guess.” Neku glanced over his shoulder at Hanekoma. “And you’ll be there, too?”

“Of course. I answer to you now, Boss.”

“Don’t call me that,” Neku huffed. “I’m not anyone’s boss. Apparently I’m not even the boss of myself.”

Joshua twirled a strand of Neku’s hair around his finger. “Would it help if I let you boss me around in the bedroom tonight?”

“I’m not sleeping with you,” Neku said. He leaned over to whisper in Joshua’s ear.

The Composer flinched. “Oh, Neku, you naughty boy. Hanekoma, your services are no longer required.”

Hanekoma narrowed his eyes. “I’ll be back in the morning around eight with breakfast.”

“Make sure it’s not your donuts,” Joshua said, moving to straddle Neku on the couch. “The last two times they were at least a week old. I want frosted-“

Neku piped up with a tiny voice. “Make my coffee a double.”

“Mm,” Joshua purred, “Sanae might need to make it a triple if we continue down this path.”

“I’m gettin’ the hell outta here.”

Joshua giggled after Hanekoma had left. He continued to straddle Neku despite the boy under him laughing alongside Joshua.

“I like doing that,” Neku whispered. “It’s fun.”

“I bet I could do more fun things with you.” Joshua began to kiss along Neku’s throat. “And yes, Neku, you may boss me around in the bathroom all night if you wish.”

Neku smiled against Joshua’s cheek. “Then go run us a bath.”

“Yes, sir,” Joshua sighed and gave Neku one last little kiss.

Tomorrow would be a fun day.

* * *

  
  
**Twewytober Aside #11 (between #26 - 27 )**

 

It had been a long day for Neku. The Game had been a bit tricky and a few Players had to be Erased due to general rule breaking and bad behavior. Neku hated those days. It reminded him of how he used to be before the Game and it made his inner emo poke out. After a day like this, Neku usually soaked in the bathtub while listening to music. He’d have a warm meal and an early bedtime. Joshua would stay out of the way until bedtime, where he’d touch Neku in all the right places.

Not, not like that, of course. Joshua was just good with his hands.

Neku rubbed his face. He had to stop thinking about-

He had just entered the apartment. Joshua was apparently having another messy day. His shirt was slung over the couch and his pants were pooled in the floor. A half eaten bagel was on the counter and a cup of coffee sat in the sink, half tipped over.

“Damnit,” Neku grumbled, “where in the Conductor book of rules does it say I have to clean up after you?”

“Ah!”

He froze in the middle of discarding the bagel. Was that Joshua? It sounded like he was in pain. Neku set the plate down in the sink and inched closer to the bedroom.

“N-no…!”

Later, Neku would tell himself it was concern that made him look before listening further.

He pushed the door open about an inch. Neku had the intent to call to Joshua, but the name died in his throat at the sight on the bed.

Joshua, wearing only socks, was underneath Hanekoma.

“Mmm,” he moaned, and arched beneath the barista’s skillful touches. “Y-yes…”

It was then Joshua’s eyes locked with Neku’s. The Composer didn’t startle or even seem to care that his Conductor was staring at him. Joshua grinned, grabbed the back of Hanekoma’s neck, and pushed against the Producer with astounding force. He cried out. His legs-locked around Hanekoma’s waist-shook with pleasure.

Neku couldn’t look away. He was trapped. Joshua held him with a warm gaze. It was almost pleading Neku to come and join them on the bed but Neku was unable to move.

“Sanae,” Joshua paused to swallow and elicit a moan of pleasure, “ah, I’m…I’m close…”

Hanekoma laughed. It was throaty and deep. His movements became more frantic and Joshua keened underneath him. “Yeah you are…”

“No,” Neku whispered, “I can’t watch.”

They didn’t seem to hear him. Joshua wrapped his arms around Hanekoma’s neck and bit into his shoulder just as he tensed. Hanekoma grunted either in pain or pleasure, and slammed Joshua into the mattress.

“Too…too hard…” Joshua managed to yelp, but the barista continued to pound into him. “S-sanae, I…please…ah!”

Neku tried to move. Oh, did he try. But Joshua was glowing with pleasure. The music surrounding them was a symphony of sharp notes and delicate tunes. Neku’s legs were quivering and he had to hold onto the door to remain standing.

Joshua dug his fingers into Hanekoma’s shirt and made the most beautiful, melodic cry Neku had ever heard.

The world seemed to fracture. Shibuya’s music soared into the heavens and Neku finally fell to his knees. It was one of the most amazing feelings he’d ever felt and he hadn’t even been in the bed with them. The feeling wasn’t as all sexual to Neku, but was much like everything he’d ever hoped had come to fruition.

“Yes,” Joshua whispered, near hoarse, “yes…oh…yes…”

Neku could see both of them were still thrusting gently. Hanekoma finally huffed and leaned down to dot kisses about Joshua’s throat and bare chest. He was still inside of Joshua.

“Nngh,” Hanekoma groaned, “more?”

“No, thank you,” Joshua sighed. He relaxed onto the bed. His hair was stuck to his face and neck, and the sheets below him were rumpled and wet. “It’s more amazing each time.”

Hanekoma grinned. He rolled to the side and collapsed next to Joshua on the bed. “I’ll take that as a complement.”

Joshua sat up with a yelp. “Ah, you were a bit rough. I suppose I should pick Neku up off the ground.”

The barista peeked over the edge of the bed and laughed. He fumbled around in the bedside table and pulled out a cigarette and lighter.

“I hate that,” Joshua chided. But he took the lit cigarette, took a puff, and handed it back to Hanekoma. “Neku, come on up here. It’s not as if we have what you don’t.”

“I’m so sorry,” he pleaded. “I swear I’ll knock next time.”

Joshua giggled. He crawled to the end of the bed and lay his chin on his folded arms. His legs kicked in the air as he reclined on his stomach. “I don’t mind being watched. It makes it feel more naughty. How are you holding up? You look worn.”

“Bad day,” was all he could get out. He managed to half-crawl, half-slide to the end of the bed.

A soft hand threaded into his hair as Joshua stroked Neku’s scalp. “I’m sorry. I usually plan these things ahead of time as to not involve you but we sort of…well…it was spur of the moment.”

Hanekoma released a ring of smoke. “Enjoy the moment, right?”

“I never want to hear that line again,” Neku sighed and pushed into Joshua’s fingers. “But, it felt nice.”

“Of course. I’ve been telling you, silly,” Joshua leaned down to kiss him, “passion is heightened in the UG. I really wish you would let us have our way with you just once.”

Neku tilted his head to look Joshua square in the face. “No. I don’t-“

Joshua kissed him to silence.

Oddly, Neku found the kiss enthralling and he pressed into Joshua’s mouth. Somehow he ended up on the bed beneath Joshua.

The Composer began kissing him along the jaw and up to his left ear. Joshua began nibbling at the lobe and Hanekoma coughed.

“Y’might wanna wait, Boss.”

“But look at him!” Joshua was straddling Neku. “He’s so cute.”

Neku felt drugged. He glanced between Hanekoma and Joshua. Unfortunately his eyes traveled down Joshua’s naked body until they rested on his-uhm…

“Little Composer,” Neku whispered, his mouth moving before his brain could process what was going on. Immediately he backpedaled. “I mean, uh, I…I’m sorry. Josh…”

Joshua didn’t seem to mind. “I respect you, Neku. I won’t do anything forward.”

“Why not?” Neku said. “Shit. What the hell is wrong with me?”

“It’s tha music,” Hanekoma said, flicking ash into a plate on the bedside table. “It’s why Josh an’ I try not to do it around you. Yer still untrained. It’ll eat ya up.”

Neku smiled. “The only eating I want-“

Joshua placed his hand over Neku’s mouth. “Trust me, you don’t want to finish that sentence.”

“Yeah, I don’t,” Neku groaned and slid out from under Joshua. “This is worse than being drunk. Sometimes, Josh, I just don’t like you.”

“Oh, you don’t mean that.” Joshua slapped his arm and hopped off the bed. “You can help me get cleaned up. Perhaps a little more than cleaning?”

Neku sat up. He rubbed his temples. “Speaking of which, stop leaving your clothes around the apartment.”

“But I like to see you being domestic. It’s endearing.”

“Once again, I hate you.” Neku waved him off. “Go get cleaned up. I’ll be there in a minute.”

Joshua smiled seductively. “I’ll keep more than the water warm for you.”

“Whatever,” Neku said, and waited for Joshua to disappear from view. He turned to Hanekoma. “The hell.”

“Hey, I get it where I can.”

“How long?” Neku asked. He still felt unsteady but the majority of pleasure had sashayed out of the bedroom and down the hall. “I mean, how long have you two been…you know…partners?”

“Hell, kid,” Hanekoma sat up, “we ain’t partners. Josh just likes sex. It’s a power thing.”

“But did you ever do it when he was alive?”

Hanekoma coughed on a lungful of smoke. “No. NO. Dear God, Neku. He was fifteen.”

Neku scratched his ear when Joshua had been nibbling. It still tickled. “Isn’t he still fifteen?”

“Nah,” Hanekoma stubbed out the cigarette and left the butt in the plate, “he’s about twenty-five?”

Twenty-five. Joshua had been Composer for ten years. Neku shook his head. He looked at Hanekoma but couldn’t keep his eyes on the man. “Am I supposed to…do it…with him?”

“Like a rule?” Hanekoma slid his legs off the side of the bed and ran a hand through his messy hair. “It ain’t specifically stated. Josh never did like Megumi. He’s not picky, but he just didn’t like the guy outside of work. Josh was nineteen when he first started experimenting. I didn’t dare touch ‘im till he was legal.”

Neku had a sudden, terrible thought of Joshua working his way through the Game Masters and wall Reapers. Not that his mad sexuality was a bad thing, it was just weird to imagine him with Higashizawa or Minamimoto. Hell, Minamimoto would probably have been screaming the entire scale of PI while getting it on with the Composer.

“I see those gears grindin’.” Hanekoma had enough decency to keep his shirt over his espresso machine. “Yer thinkin’ of Josh doin’ things.”

“Ugh, it’s too much. I’m just a kid and this is all too much. Reapers, life and death, sex, and people. I just can’t stand it all at once. Damn Players and their damn stupid…stupidness!”

Hanekoma frowned. “Bad day, huh?”

“Fifteen Players to start. We were down to eight. Six of them decided to turn on the others and they slowly began killing each other off as if it were nothing. We had one person-ONE PERSON-who didn’t do it. But she’d partnered with a complete asshole. I can’t do anything about it. Why should she be punished for those other pricks and their stupid ideas?”

“It’s just tha way it is.”

“It’s stupid! Why did I have to have this job?” Neku put his head in his hands and yelled. “Why?!”

“Hey, kid.” Hanekoma moved to sit next to him. He put an arm around Neku’s shoulders and squeezed. “It’ll be alright. Y’just gotta focus on the good things.”

“The good thing got turned into Noise food.”

Neku turned his head. He was caught by the way the light hit Hanekoma’s deep, dark eyes. It was just as stupid as all the other impulsive thoughts Neku had had since becoming a Conductor, but he couldn’t stop it. His mouth crashed into Hanekoma’s. The man tasted of cigarettes and stale coffee.

To Neku, it was delicious. He tried to get closer. He grabbed Hanekoma’s shirt and pressed into the man but he was promptly shoved back.

“Not like this,” the barista said, his voice gruff. “Yer too young.”

“But I-“ Neku closed his eyes. “I can’t-“

Hanekoma scooped him up in his arms. He carried Neku to the bathroom on the other end of the apartment and deposited him in the shower where Joshua was currently standing, covered in soap bubbles.

“Did you break him, Sanae?”

“Nope. He’s ah, confused.”

Neku shook his head. He still felt drugged but the shower was slowly making him more alert. “Son of a bitch. I tried to kiss freakin’ CAT.”

“Tried ain’t tha word, kiddo.”

“I’m going to be sick,” Neku said, shoving his face into the shower stream. He didn’t care that it was hot.

“Hey,” Hanekoma sounded offended.

Joshua only laughed and shoved Hanekoma from the shower. “Go clean up elsewhere. I have a baby Conductor to take care of.”

“Yeah, yeah,” was Hanekoma’s parting words as he winked out of the apartment, leaving three small feathers behind on the floor.

There was no way Neku was ever going to leave the shower. He was going to stay there until he died, and if that didn’t happen, Neku was going to try and Erase himself from existence.

“Why is everything so convoluted with you?”

Joshua kissed him on the back of the neck. “It’s more fun.”

Neku started to throw an insult at Joshua but the Composer suddenly shrieked.

“Ow! Soap in my eyes!”

Karma was a bitch. Unfortunately, so was Joshua.

* * *

  
  
**Twewytober Prompt #26 – Such…such power…**

 

Hundreds of questions plagued Neku. From the time he had met Joshua to now, the questions kept piling up, one on top of the other. He let them stew in his mind for weeks, not wanting to disturb the easy going nature of their relationship with stuff that didn’t really matter anymore.

But one question still puzzled Neku.

“Why me?”

Joshua was busy playing with the suds in the water of their bath. The bubbles had long relaxed into a hazy mist of rainbow color, and Joshua had begun to stack suds out of boredom. He stared at Neku across the bath and splashed the warm water up onto his chest. “What now?”

“You know,” Neku dipped down until only his head was visible, “why shoot me?”

“Are you wishing it wasn’t you?” Joshua began piling suds onto Neku’s hair. He twisted the strands into odd shapes and smiled at the mess he was making.

Neku dipped further down to rinse his hair. “Stop that.”

“Fine.” Joshua leaned back against the rim of the bathtub and hung one long leg over the edge to dangle. “There isn’t a good reason. You were one of five individuals with the highest level of soul and negativity. Unfortunately that idiot Minamimoto left me little options.”

“So I was convenient.”

Joshua shrugged. “If you want to call it convenience. I call it fate. If I hadn’t put a bullet in your face, we wouldn’t be in this warm tub.”

“I hate you so much,” Neku hissed. He splashed water at Joshua’s face.

The Composer blinked. A wicked grin spread across his face. “Oh, is that how you want to play?”

Neku slammed his hands into the water and a torrent of suds flew over Joshua, splashed against the wall, and ricocheted back onto Joshua’s head. He was soaked.

“I won’t take this lightly,” Joshua warned teasingly. He brought his hands up and the water curled into the air with the whispering hint of a melody.

“That’s cheating, Josh,” Neku huffed. “Not that I’m surpri-“

The water fell onto Neku’s head. It wasn’t warm anymore and the frigid downpour made Neku shriek and leap from the bathtub on instinct. His foot caught the rug and it slid out from under him. The tiled floor was even colder than the water had been.

“You son of a bitch!”

Joshua had been laughing the moment Neku bailed out of the bathtub. He curled a hand into his wet hair and slung it back. “My, Neku. I do enjoy the sight of you prone on the floor. Would you like me to join you?”

“Urgh, remind me again why I like you,” Neku grumbled as he rose from the cold, wet ground. He grabbed a towel from the warming rack and wrapped it around his shoulders. The vanity mirror was steamed up, and no matter how much Neku wiped at it he couldn’t get all of the mist off.

He took a comb and started running it through his hair. In the middle of parting it, Neku paused, turned to look at Joshua, and frowned.

Joshua was watching him with a mixture of pleasure and amusement. “Am I bothering you?”

“No, you’re just being creepy,” Neku said. He slicked his hair back with the comb. “At least I don’t have to worry about fixing my hair.”

“Unless we have a UG emergency at eight o’clock in the evening. But,” Joshua sighed as he slid from the bathtub, “I’m sure it won’t be a problem.”

Neku tossed Joshua the comb. The Composer caught it effortlessly.

“Aren’t you cold?” Neku pulled the towel tighter around his shoulders and shivered. “You really should get some heated floors in here.”

Joshua shrugged. “I don’t mind the cold. It means I have an excuse to use the fireplace or get in the bed with my precious proxy. Are you in?”

“No. You didn’t really answer my question. How was I one of five?”

“Hm?” Joshua paused in combing his hair. “Oh, right. There were five individuals in the entirety of Shibuya who not only had strong souls, but who also attracted negative energy. Remember all the Noise you exercised from objects and people? You were just like them. A magnet for Noise.”

Neku sat down on a small, wooden stool. “What about the other four?”

“The other four are being monitored. If their negativity grows, they will be dealt with.”

“How?”

Joshua set the comb down and twirled around to face Neku. “If your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better to be crippled than to be whole in Hell.”

“What the hell’s that supposed to mean?” Neku curled tighter under the towel while his hair tickled his neck. “Wait, no. You kill them?”

“We intervene. If they continue to be a problem we cut them off.”

Neku jumped up. “You can’t just kill people!”

“Better to kill one or two than to destroy a city. Honestly, Neku, you should be used to it by now.”

“So you’d have killed me outright if I hadn’t changed? Just like that?”

Joshua watched him with a pitiless gaze. “Oh, Neku. If the timing hadn’t been what it was-if I hadn’t decided to play a Game with Megumi-then you would have been dealt with. I’m not saying it to hurt you. I’m telling you because I trust you understand what’s right. You were poisoning her with such…such power…such reckless abandon-I had no choice.”

“No choice?” Neku’s towel had fallen to the floor. He hugged his arms around his middle in an effort to stop shivering from the cool air. “You would have killed me?”

“I wouldn’t have. Imprinting is a funny thing, Neku.”

Neku’s bottom lip had begun to quiver. He wasn’t sure if it was from the cold or the emotional roller coaster he was currently riding to hell. “So that’s why.”

“You were beautiful. Your eyes held a sad sort of hope when you looked at Sanae’s mural. Inside I could see the boy who had fractured into pieces. You were barely existing. For such a talented, strong individual to deny the power within was a crime against humanity. You had the ability to bring joy and pleasure to the world with your art.” Joshua grabbed Neku’s towel and slung it around Neku’s shoulders. “But you were dying inside and much like carrion, the Noise were feeding on you.”

“It’s my fault Shibuya was tainted? It’s my fault you wanted to destroy her?”

Joshua pulled Neku into a hug. “No, silly. Shibuya was already on shaky ground when Minoru was Composer. After I took over I did what I could and yet the negativity grew. It wasn’t your fault. It would be like blaming a scratch for killing someone who fell off a building. Yes, the damage is there but the person would have survived just a scratch. It still hurts, though.”

“I’m sorry,” Neku whispered. He placed his head against Joshua’s shoulder. “Josh?”

The Composer kissed him on the forehead. “Yes, Neku?”

“Would you have loved the others like you love me?”

“To be honest, there are alternate realities where I do. However, we are in this reality, and I could not love another as much as I love you.” Joshua cupped Neku’s face in his hands. “You gave me my heart.”

Neku reached up to grab Joshua’s wrists. “Yeah, and I almost destroyed Shibuya doing it.”

“Silly, Neku,” Joshua pinched Neku’s nose and turned away, “I wasn’t talking about my entrance fee.”

The Composer left the bathroom.

Neku followed after, his skin covered in chill bumps, but his heart was warm and full.

* * *

  
  
**Twewytober Prompt #27 – Will we still be friends?**

 

Joshua had taken a shine to the youngest of the Players from Neku’s Game. She was quiet and contemplative, unlike her brash, extremely vocal brother Beat. Rhyme almost always had a smile on her face and a kind word on her tongue. When she met Joshua for the first time in the RG, her expression had crinkled into confusion for all of five seconds. It had troubled Joshua, but now, sitting across the dinner table with her at the Bito’s house, he understood the confusion.

She could remember. Even if she didn’t consciously know she could, Rhyme had filled her wall with various pictures of Reapers and Noise. The art had a touch of Hanekoma’s style, but it held more curves than sharp angles and lines. Joshua liked to watch her draw. The pencil or pen would slide effortlessly over the paper to bring to life some of the more frightening aspects of the Game.

But it was when she started drawing the hazy outline of Joshua in his Composer form that Joshua became a bit worried about leaving her memories intact.

“Who is this?” Joshua asked, tapping one finger on the edge of the drawing.

Rhyme scrunched her face up. “I think…I think he’s an angel. I’m not sure. Sometimes I just draw what I see in my head and when you’re around me I get so many ideas.”

“Oh? Perhaps I should come by more often,” he said, giving her an encouraging smile. “Are you sure he’s an angel? Perhaps he’s not as good as you’d think.”

She giggled. “I think he’s good. But he’s probably not someone I would like to meet. Since he’s wearing all white and has wings, I would be afraid he’s an angel of death.”

Joshua laughed nervously. “Yes, he very well could be.”

“I was wondering, Joshua,” she continued drawing, never looking up from the fine lines, “will we still be friends when you get older? I know Neku and Beat are the same age, and Shiki and Eri are, too. But I’m just a kid and I don’t think-“

“We will always be friends,” Joshua said, placing a hand over Rhyme’s. “Never doubt it for a second. I will be to you a guardian angel. If there is anything you ever need I will do my best to give it to you.”

Rhyme looked up from her drawing, a faint line of pink glowing in her round cheeks. “Thank you, Joshua. The truth is, I’ve been having these really weird dreams and I don’t feel comfortable telling the others.”

“What sort of dreams?” He leaned back in his chair to fold his arms over his stomach. “Are they bad?”

“Sometimes I dream about this woman with huge black wings. She scares me. I don’t even want to draw her because she scares me so much. I don’t know why.”

Joshua frowned. Perhaps he should retire Konishi. “I wouldn’t worry about it. It is just a dream. If someone tried to hurt you I’m sure your big brothers wouldn’t allow it.”

“Big brothers?”

“Beat, Neku, and myself. I promise she will never touch you,” Joshua said with such force he almost didn’t believe his own words.

Rhyme set her pencil down. “Thank you, Joshua. Here. I want you to have it. It isn’t the most finished drawing I’ve done but…”

He took the paper from Rhyme and gazed at a rather accurate portrayal of his Composer form. The wings were large and fluffy, but there were a few pinions in various shades of grey. They were sharp and detailed whereas the wings themselves were faded into the background. Joshua ran a finger down the curve of his body and the curls in his hair.

Thankfully, the face was blank and in shadow. She hadn’t made the connection between the two.

“I will cherish it. In fact, I’m going to frame it and hang it on the wall.” He happened to glance at the corner. “Oh, you didn’t sign it.”

“Yes, I did.” She leaned over the table and pointed out a small scrawl of a squirrel hidden between two soft lines of the Composer’s clothes. “I like squirrels, and it doesn’t mess the picture up with words.”

Joshua smiled. “I’ll remember your fondness for your birthday. It is coming up, right?”

“You don’t have to get me anything, Joshua. I have you!” She grinned broadly and returned to drawing.

He continued to smile softly. Even as he saw her imagination swirling around her in the puffs of white feathers and a bright glow.

One day, she would make a fine Producer.

* * *

  
  
**Twewytober Prompt #28 – Who needs witches?!**

 

“Neku, are you busy today?”

Joshua’s voice had interrupted a particularly creative thought. Neku sighed, set his pen down, and turned in his chair. He slung his arm over the back and gave Joshua a mildly annoyed look. “Why?”

“Oh, I have something special for you to do today,” he said, fiddling with his smart phone. “You know, since you’re our new Composer.”

“I’m an interim Composer,” Neku huffed. “I’m not taking your job away from you. I can’t be the level of asshole you’ve seem to perfected.”

Joshua giggled. “C’mon, Neku. I think you’ll enjoy it.”

“Can’t it wait?” Neku tapped his fingers on the chair. He really didn’t feel like doing anything but sketching.

“Aw,” Joshua teased, “don’t make me drag you out of that chair.”

Neku banged his head on the table. “Fuck it. You won’t leave me alone until I do. Fine. Do I need to change?”

“I don’t think they’ll care what clothes you’re wearing. They aren’t the kind I worry about impressing.”

He watched Joshua click a few things on his phone screen before he put it away in his back pocket.

Neku continued to frown as he hopped up from the chair. It wasn’t as if he did have anything pressing to do. It was a Saturday and Neku usually dealt with paperwork and had a little bit of downtime. Often Joshua would even leave him alone, choosing to spend time with either Mr. H or a random stranger. Neku knew exactly what Joshua was up to, and the thought made him shiver.

He was so not going to think about last week’s accident.

“C’mon, Neku,” Joshua said, offering his hand. “It won’t take long.”

Neku hesitantly placed his hand in Joshua’s. Before he could ask where they were going the room melted. Literally every single color and line seemed to pour down into the blackness that had once been the floor. They were surrounded by pitch black and tones of grey. Neku flinched and squeezed Joshua’s hand enough that the Composer yelped.

“Relax,” he soothed, “it won’t hurt. But you might want to shield your eyes at first.”

“Shield my- GAH.”

A bright light filled the darkness. It surrounded them in warmth and peace. Neku clenched his eyes shut against the light until it dimmed enough to not burn through his eyelids.

Opening his eyes he beheld a white room with three stairwells. One went to the right and down, one went to the left and up, and one went between two large pillars of light. It led to a huge, ivory double door lined with gold in swirling shapes.

“Is this Heaven?” Neku managed to squeak out.

Joshua giggled. “I thought as much the first time I was here. But, no, this is the Higher Plane. Home to our dear supervisors, the Angels.”

“Huh,” Neku finally released Joshua’s hand, “it’s kinda boring.”

“I’ve told them to add a few colors but they aren’t the artistic type. That’s why they leave all of the creativity to us middlemen.”

A few angels passed by, speaking in a melodic language Neku couldn’t understand. It was beautiful, as if they were singing a song more than talking. The angels had stacks of paperwork in various languages and boxes of pins and clothes.

One of the smaller angels ran past Joshua and Neku, slipping on the edge of his robe to tumble hard onto the crystal tile floor.

Neku didn’t think. He knelt down to help the angel gather the merchandise he had scattered. “Hey, you alright?”

The angel had managed to toss his robes over his head. He fought to free himself and eventually his head popped out.

“Wait, what?!” Neku glanced at Joshua. “What is this?”

“That is an angel, Neku.”

“But he-“

The red haired angel shrieked. “I am in SO much trouble! The Producers are going to flip!”  
Neku stared at the young angel. He was a carbon copy of Neku when he was about twelve. The angel’s hair wasn’t spiked, but was slicked back into a ponytail. His eyes were bright blue and free of the negativity Neku held in his own.

“Uh,” Neku tried to ignore the fact that they were one in the same, “let me help you.”

“Thank you, sir!” The angel began piling pins and clothes back into the cardboard box. It was almost as big as he was. “Oh! I’m sorry, you’re probably majorly confused. I’m Neku Number two-eighty-six.”

Neku blinked. “Two-eighty-six?”

“Wow, this is your first time to the Higher Plane, isn’t it?” The younger Neku grinned broadly. He peeked around Neku to wave at Joshua. “Hello, Composer Joshua Number five-fifty-two.”

“Five-fifty-one,” Joshua corrected. “Five-fifty-two is a bit taller and darker than I.”

“Of course! My bad,” he chimed. Pulling up from the ground, little Neku adjusted his robes and picked the box up with both arms. “Thanks for helping me, Neku Number five-fifty-one.”

Neku watched the angel scurry away. He nearly fell over a few more times before disappearing in the crowd.

“Five-what?” He asked.

Joshua smiled. “The number of our dimension plus our deviation from the original path. We are the five-hundredth dimension. We are the fifty-first iteration.”

“Wait,” Neku rubbed at his face, “there are more of us?”

“Oh, Neku. There are a countless amount of every single person in existence. If you stop and think about it your brain might explode.” Joshua shrugged. “It’s not important.”

Neku shook his head. “It’s kinda important, Josh.”

“You usually will never deal with another one of yourself,” Joshua explained. He took Neku by the arm and guided him further into the confusion. “Come along, Neku.”

The words the angels spoke were beginning to make some sort of sense. Neku could have sworn he heard two angels talking about fashion, and another two arguing about magic.

“Who needs witches?! WE have immortals,” one of them said.

Neku closed his eyes. “I’m dreaming.”

“No, you’re not. Now open your eyes. I would hate for you to trip.”

“What are we doing here?” Neku tried to wrench his arm free but Joshua only twined his own around tighter. “Josh-“

“Shh, we’re almost there,” Joshua said softly. He turned to a tall angel with blonde hair and red eyes. “Excuse me, sir, we are looking for the certificate department.”

The angel narrowed his eyes but pointed down a long hallway flanked on either side with plain white doors.

“Thank you,” Joshua said politely and dragged Neku down into the hall.

It was quiet in the hallway. There was the noise of typing and the ringing of phones-which made no sense at all to Neku-and the quiet voices of many people speaking. They walked past door after door until one reading four-one-five made Joshua stop.

“I believe this is the one.” Joshua knocked three times on the door. He waited and knocked again.

A crashing noise. A flurry of footsteps. The sound of muffled curses.

The door opened to a frazzled angel. He was at least six foot seven and had to bend down to fit in the door. Bright azure eyes stared at them. His hair was floppy and the color of chocolate, and it fell about his face in tight curls.

Neku noticed the most startling thing about the angel was his coffee skin and delicate freckles dancing across his angled nose.

“Oh, oh no. Is it time already? Oh, foop,” he said, tapping a finger on his watch. “It stopped again. I really need to have it fixed.”

“Uh,” Neku started to speak. It was a bad idea.

The angel looked at him. There was a moment of tension.

The angel wrapped him in a big hug that lifted Neku off the ground. “You are so cute! Most of the Neku’s are adorable but look at your cute hair and your comfortable clothing! Where did you get those shoes? I don’t think I’ve seen that style in several dimensions. Oh my goodness, you have to stay and have coffee with me after we sign you over. Please?”

Neku stared at Joshua in abject horror. “Help.”

“Put him down, Danyael,” Joshua said, “he’s fragile.”

The angel plunked him back down on his feet. “Forgive me, little Neku! I love meeting new people.”

“He’s technically not new,” Joshua teased.

“Every single Neku or Joshua is new to me. Oh, my manners,” he waved his hands, “I’m Danyael. Higher Up of the four and five-hundred dimensions. You’re here to sign your papers, right?”

Neku frowned. “Papers?”

“Joshua is terrible at explaining things,” Danyael huffed. He yanked Neku across the room and sat him down in one of two chairs before taking his own on the other side of the desk. “Now! You’re the new Conductor, correct? Ah, sorry to see Megumi go. He was interesting. Also, the second floor said you were going to be an interim Composer as well? Goodness you’re going to be a busy bee!”

“I change my mind,” Neku said, “I’m in hell.”

Danyael laughed. It was completely off key. “You goose. Now, here we are.”

He slapped a pile of papers in front of Neku.

“The first five are the standard contract. The next twelve are the primer to being a good Conductor-I’ll give you a copy of all of this, don’t worry. The next few-“

Neku listened to him prattle on about papers. It made little sense to him.

“Luckily!” Danyael shoved a black tablet toward Neku. “Sign here and you only need to sign once. We’ve finally begun to get computerized.”

“Uh,” Neku held the pen, “sign here? What am I signing?”

“All of this,” Danyael patted the stack of papers, “and a few little minor papers we don’t print out. I’ll email the folder to you in a swip file.”

“Swip? Do you mean Swipe?”

Danyael blinked. He dug in a drawer and pulled out a post-it note. “Swip…swip-super wireless instant paper.”

“That’s…stupid…” Neku whispered.

Joshua flicked him on the back of the ear. “That isn’t nice, Neku. I told you creativity was left to us.”

“Huh,” Danyael squinted his eyes at the note, “I think that’s what it says. It must be what it says. Super Wireless is the UG wireless system and it is instant paper since you CAN pull it from the screen…”

Neku narrowed his eyes. “What.”

Danyael smiled. He touched his flat screen monitor and pulled with two fingers.

A picture came out and he set it in front of Neku. “It beats having to print things.”

“This is nuts,” Neku said. He stared at the tablet. “Okay I guess I don’t have any other options.”

He scribbled his name onto the tablet. It beeped.

“Good job!” Danyael yanked the pen and tablet back. “Now, you have to tell me where you got those shoes.”

“Actually, we don’t have time,” Joshua said. He placed a hand on Neku’s shoulder. “Do we, Neku?”

Neku had wanted to leave, but this place was too surreal to just up and go. “I think I’ve got time. Do you guys have food here?”

Danyael’s face brightened to a blinding degree. “Oh, DO we. Anything you could ever want and you never ever get full because food is such a pleasure it cannot be surpassed!”

“I don’t-“ Joshua began to argue, but Neku slapped a hand on his mouth.

“We’d love to stay and chat. Wouldn’t we, Joshua?”

The Composer growled under Neku’s fingers. “Whatever. You’ll just owe me.”

Neku grinned. He stood up and offered his hand to Danyael. “Nice to meet you, too.”

The whole Conductor gig just kept getting weirder and weirder, but at this point it was actually becoming more fun.

Especially when it pissed off Joshua.

* * *

  
  
**Twewytober Prompt #29 – Attack!**

 

It was always immediately apparent when Joshua wasn’t in a good mood. Neku had learned to feel the Composer’s emotions as easily as he felt the music of Shibuya. The first emotion he’d learned to read was seething anger. It always made the room ice cold.

Another large emotion was passion, of course, and even if Joshua was miles away, Neku could still feel the bubbling excitement Joshua exuded. It was all encompassing and warm. Even though it was usually sexual in nature, Neku didn’t mind feeling it. To him it wasn’t sexual, but loving.

It took Neku a few times to notice when Joshua was simply happy. The energy wasn’t as sharp or bubbly, but it swirled through the air and infected people with creativity. Neku almost always found his art was better when Joshua was happy.

But there were other emotions-rare emotions. Joshua wasn’t one for fear or panic. He hardly ever felt worried or anxious, but there had been a few occasions.

Neku could tell whatever was displayed on Joshua’s phone screen had the Composer upset.

“What’s wrong?”

Joshua frowned at the screen while tapping a finger to his lips. “It’s nothing.”

“C’mon, Josh,” Neku said, “I know you’re upset. Your music is sour.”

“Though I am pleased you are learning to read my moods, this does not concern you.”

Neku rolled his eyes. He paused the game he was playing and set the controller aside. “Whatever it is probably does concern me. It’s a UG thing, right?”

“Yes, but this isn’t a Conductor thing. It’s more of a,” he paused to look up, “a Producer thing.”

“What’s Mr. H done now?”

Joshua laughed humorlessly. “He hasn’t done anything. No, this is someone else you know. I don’t want to concern you because I know how emotional you can get.”

“I’m not going to get emotional,” he said, flatly. “Who is it?”

The Composer sighed as if the world was on his shoulders. He turned the screen to show Neku.

It was a photograph of Rhyme in her school uniform. She was smiling happily with her arms linked around two other girls who were also beaming with joy. Neku couldn’t quite remember their names.

“Are Rhyme’s friends in danger?”

Joshua stared at Neku with a blank expression. “No. It isn’t Erika or Mika. It is, unfortunately, our little sister.”

“What?” Neku leaned over the arm of the couch. He reached out for the phone but Joshua kept it just out of Neku’s grasp. “Come on, Josh.”

“I really don’t want to do what they’re asking but,” he paused again, the words seeming to burn his tongue, “we have a problem and it must be dealt with.”

Neku wasn’t sure exactly what a twelve year old could have done to upset the Higher Ups. She could draw and she’d taken a liking to Neku’s abstract sketches. Sure, she could remember the Noise and the Reapers, but she didn’t connect one and two together.

Bouncing the smart phone in one hand, Joshua had begun pacing back and forth. “I wonder if Sanae would be able to keep an eye on her.”

“What. Is. Wrong.” Neku frowned up at Joshua. “Tell me.”

The Composer exhaled. He finally let Neku read the classified e-mail.

“Dear Mr. Kiryu,” Neku read aloud, “it has come to the attention of the High Council that an ex-Player of yours-Miss Raimu Bito-is exhibiting troubling behavior. Due to the nature of her return to the RG, we are requesting immediate termination. Her soul must be transferred to the High Council for disposal.”

Neku felt sick. His stomach dropped and his heart skipped a beat. “No. We can’t just attack a child!”

“I am already on probation for the stunt I pulled with you. If I do not deliver her to the High Council I might as well Erase myself.”

“I’m not going to let you,” Neku growled. He tossed the phone back to Joshua. “It’s not going to happen.”

“She is also a sister to me, Neku. I felt her soul in my hands and I felt the moment her life left her tiny body not only pre-Game but when she was Erased. I cannot allow such a strong soul to be destroyed,” Joshua said, “but I am afraid there is little choice.”

“She doesn’t remember being in the Game. Can’t we just-I dunno-erase her memories and take all the artwork so she can’t keep doing what she’s doing to piss them off?”

Joshua had one hand in his back pocket with his phone and one on the bridge of his nose. “There is a small chance I might be able to have her transferred to Sanae’s care. He is a Producer and her soul is vibrating at the level of an Angel. If we do, perhaps they will be sated. However,” Joshua rubbed circles on his forehead, “there is no guarantee.”

“Whatever we can try,” Neku said. “I can’t sit by and watch her disappear again.”

The Composer nodded. He shifted into his full form before tuning his energy into the frequency of the Higher Plane. It was a sharp turn of music and an abrupt end to the melody that was Joshua.

Neku knew what he needed to do. He climbed off the couch, grabbed his phone and wallet, and left the apartment to go find Rhyme.

If the Angels tried anything with Neku around, he wouldn’t hesitate to fight back.

* * *

  
  
**Twewytober Prompt #30 – Holy crap, it’s an alien!**

 

The school Rhyme went to was somewhat exclusive and on the very edge of the city. It was an all girls school with one of the best academic programs in the city. Neku had looked it up online while waiting for the final bell to ring. He hadn’t seen any suspicious people around but he wasn’t taking any chances.

As soon as the final bell rang there was a cacophony of happy voices laughing and shouting to each other. Several groups of girls filed out of the school and past the gates to the streets. Neku continued to lean against the massive fence as he waited for Rhyme to appear.

“Any luck?” Joshua asked.

Neku had gotten quite used to Joshua’s sudden appearance. “Not yet.”

“Hm,” he began playing with his phone, “I don’t see her signed up for any extracurriculars today.”

“Yeah. She’s got music on Tuesdays and art history on Fridays.” Neku peeked around the wall. He saw three girls giggling and bouncing as they talked animatedly. Rhyme was one of the three.

Joshua glided past Neku. “There she is. Our cute little sister.”

“Hey, wait up,” Neku called. He walked in time with Joshua. “You don’t think this’ll look weird, do you?”

“Two boys at an all girls school in the closing hour? Oh, no, Neku,” Joshua teased.

Rhyme noticed them and waved. “Hey! Joshua! Neku!”

Her friends-Erika and Mika-turned to look as well. The older of the two frowned and eyed Joshua up and down before giving Neku a passing glance. Mika, on the other hand, clapped a hand over her mouth the moment she saw Joshua.

“Holy crap, it’s an alien!”

Rhyme giggled. “Mika, he’s not an alien. He’s Joshua.”

“But he’s white,” Erika said, her attitude matching the stuck up expression on her face, “and he’s got purple eyes. Not to mention his hair.”

Joshua narrowed his eyes. He started to raise his hand but stopped. “You should have more respect for your elders, little one.”

“What-ever,” she sighed, waving her hand. “I’m going home. Come along, Mika.”

They wandered off and Neku watched them round the corner. “What a wonderful kid.”

“She’s not that bad,” Rhyme explained, “she doesn’t do social skills very well. But it’s alright. Mika keeps her in line as best as she can.”

“Hm, I suppose we should forgive her for now,” Joshua mused. He ruffled Rhyme’s blonde hair and placed a hand on her shoulder. “We came to hang out. I have a friend I want you to meet.”

“Really? Who?”

Joshua clicked his tongue. “Ah ah ah, I’m not telling. It wouldn’t be a surprise.”

She giggled and took Joshua’s hand. “C’mon, Neku!”

Neku smiled and took her other hand. They walked away from the school with the appearance of two older brothers with their little sister. Though it was hard to pull off considering their hair…

Rhyme didn’t seem to mind. She hummed and skipped along beside them. “Is it a new place?”

“Nope,” Joshua said, “you get two more guesses.”

“Uhm,” she jumped over a crack in the sidewalk, “is the person coming to your house? Or are they coming to my house? Oh, does Beat know them?”

Joshua laughed. “You’ve run out of guesses, and no. We’re going to meet him at a café.”

“A café? I know someone from a café.”

They froze. Joshua stepped in front of Rhyme and knelt down. “Who?”

“Mr. Kitty,” she said as if it were obvious. “He’s a nice guy. I went there the other day and he made me a special drink.”

Joshua glanced up at Neku. “Well, this is a surprise.”

“So it is him? I’m glad.” She giggled and started walking again. “C’mon, guys.”

Neku stayed in the back. He watched as Joshua took her small hand and continued down the sidewalk. They talked about nonsense and schoolwork. Rhyme was explaining to Joshua how she was going to be a veternarian or maybe even a nurse. She loved science and math, though math was always difficult. Joshua said nothing but nodded and squeezed her hand.

The walk to Cat Street didn’t take long, but it felt shorter than it should have been for Neku.

Once they arrived, Rhyme went ahead of them to open the door. She called into the café, “Mr. Kitty!”

Hanekoma appeared from the back. His hands were covered in paint and he was trying in vain to wipe them off on a colorful rag. “Hey, kiddo!”

She hopped up on one of the stools at the counter. “Joshua and Neku brought me to meet you. I feel bad because they didn’t know we were friends.”

“Ah, they didn’t, did they?” Hanekoma smiled. “Get ya somethin’?”

Neku sat on one side of Rhyme while Joshua stood to the other.

“Nothing for me, thanks,” Joshua said, pulling his phone out. “But whatever the little lady wants is on me.”

“What about me?” Neku teased, but didn’t receive a response. “I’ll take a special.”

Hanekoma nodded and tossed the paint rag over a cardboard box behind the counter. He began messing around with his machines. They made various beeps and whistles. Glancing over his shoulder he asked, “Are ya gonna tell ‘em how we met?”

The little girl leaned on the counter with her arms. She was positively glowing with happiness. “Maybe we should keep it a secret! I don’t want to get into any trouble.”

“Trouble?” Joshua looked up from his phone. “What sort of trouble?”

“Well,” she reached out for the milkshake Hanekoma set in front of her, “he found me in the Station Underpass after school one day. Beat was busy and I didn’t feel like going home.”

Hanekoma grinned. He set a cup of sweet smelling coffee in front of Neku and a cup of tea near Joshua. “Yeah, she was makin’ a mess.”

She sipped the milkshake and exhaled. “You make such good drinks. Thanks, Mr. Kitty.”

Neku poked her in the shoulder. “What mess?”

Her face turned pink. “I was experimenting with alternate forms of artwork.”

“She was taggin’ tha wall,” Hanekoma explained. He began wiping down the counter. “Not bad, by the way.”

“Rhyme,” Joshua acted surprised, “you deliquent.”

She giggled. “Oh, Joshua, you don’t mean it.”

“I couldn’t possibly,” he said, and patted her on the shoulder. “But what were you painting under there?”

“You know the drawing I made for you, Joshua? It was sort of a copy of him, but on a grand scale. I love drawing wings and I thought it wouldn’t be hard to try. But I made a mess of my uniform.” She frowned but then smiled again. “Mr. Kitty found me and helped me out. Not only with the paint, but with my uniform.”

“I’m good at getting’ stains out,” Hanekoma said. He shot Joshua a look and the Composer blushed.

Neku scratched the back of his neck and turned away from both of them. “Not in front of the kid.”

Rhyme blinked. “What?”

“Nothing, nothing,” Joshua waved it off, “it was an inside joke. I’m quite messy myself.”

“Not you,” Rhyme said. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you with a wrinkle.”

Joshua shrugged. “I suppose.”

“Anyway,” Neku tried to get their conversation back on track, “we need to talk, Mr. H. It’s about the e-mail.”

Hanekoma dropped the towel on the counter. “Yeah. The e-mail. How did the Higher Ups take your suggestion, Josh?”

“They didn’t,” he said, clicking on his screen. “In fact, I was supposed to immediately eradicate our problem. I decided not to listen.”

“Josh,” the Producer warned, “they’re gonna Erase you.”

“Doubtful,” he shot back. “If I were gone, they’d be bored.”

Neku didn’t say anything. He watched Rhyme drawing with her finger in the condensation on her drink. It didn’t seem to register that she was the problem or that the conversation had anything to do with her.

“I could try-“ Hanekoma began, but Joshua held his hand up.

“I have no other choice. They have requested a one on one meeting. I have, however, been able to talk them out of immediate destruction. But they requested something in exchange.”

“What?” Neku sat up. “It’s good news, right?”

“Neku,” Joshua shook his head, “news from the Higher Plane is rarely good. They have requested we clean up our mess with as little impact to Shibuya as possible. It means memories must be shuffled around.”

Rhyme sipped on her milkshake before sitting back. “You’re talking about me, aren’t you?”

The three guys stared at her. Joshua didn’t look at all surprised, Hanekoma looked distraught, and Neku…

Neku felt powerless.

“Sorry, kiddo.” Hanekoma leaned on the counter. “Y’don’t remember much, but there’s enough in there to cause those Higher Ups concern.”

Rhyme’s expression fell. “Joshua, Neku, I’m so very sorry. I put you two in this position because I didn’t want to worry either of you.”

“You…” Neku felt the world shiver. “You remember?”

“I only remember a few bits and pieces. I know there were monsters and people who wanted us to disappear. There were these pins and-“ she stopped. “It wasn’t until recently I began to remember other things like Joshua.”

Even Hanekoma seemed surprised by her admission.

“I think what happened was it rubbed off on me. Mr. Hanekoma, Joshua, and even you Neku,” she held her hands out and stared at them as they trembled, “rubbed off on me. The only thing I worry about is Beat.”

Joshua took a deep breath. “Yes, the meathead would be lost without you. However, we could-“

“Don’t take his memories away. I know it will hurt my family but,” Rhyme’s hands curled into fists, “it would be worse if I didn’t exist at all.”

Neku wanted to hug her. He wasn’t one for physical contact but the kid in front of him was still stronger than all three of the men in the room. His hand hesitantly rested on her shoulder. “Rhyme…I wish…I wish there was another way.”

She looked up at Neku. “Will you keep an eye on him? Please, Neku.”

He nodded once. “Yeah. I will.”

“Alright,” she said, cheerily, “I’m ready.”

Joshua was frozen to the spot. The expression on his face was hard to read and his music was as lifeless as a broken record. “I might be able to work out a deal.”

“Thank you, Joshua. I hope we can still see each other.”

“What’er we doing?” Neku asked. He still had a hand on Rhyme’s shoulder. “I mean, we’re not going to Erase her or let them do it, are we?”

The Composer dropped his gaze. “I have to take her to the Higher Plane. They will deal with her how they see fit but if I can force them to see how unique she is, perhaps they will let her ascend instead.”

Neku couldn’t help but pull Rhyme closer. “Wait, we can’t just-“

“It is this or nothing,” Joshua said. He let his human form dissolve. “Worry not, I will protect her.”

“But-“

“C’mon, kiddo,” Hanekoma said. He reached out to tug Neku’s hand free of Rhyme’s shoulder. “Y’gotta let ‘er go.”

Neku looked to Joshua. The Composer said nothing, did nothing, he simply winked out of existence with Rhyme in tow.

The last thing Neku saw of the little girl was a beaming smile.

* * *

  
  
**Twewytober Prompt #31 – Time, be still.**

 

The holiday season was well underway by the time Neku felt comfortable enough talking to someone about the past year’s events. He hadn’t made many friends outside of Shibuya on the UG side of things. There was always Charmain, the happy Conductor from France, but other than her he hadn’t had the time to socialize.

She was currently sending a variety of pictures and articles from France through the UG chat system. It was oddly named UG&Me. Neku thought it was a stupid name. He had signed up under the username DeadKidSpeaking, and Charmain was CharmainLePain.

“I sent you a swip file for a souvenir of the tower,” she typed, “I think it might cheer you are Joshua up.”

“I don’t know,” Neku typed back, “he’s been withdrawn since the Rhyme incident.”

“So have you. Maybe you should talk to him?”

Neku’s fingers hovered over the keyboard of his laptop. “I’ve tried. He won’t talk about anything outside of work and I haven’t been in his apartment for a few weeks now. He’s shut me out completely.”

There was a pause and a series of ellipses bouncing on the screen as Charmain replied. The message popped up with a variety of cheerful emojis. “It isn’t good for a Composer and Conductor to not speak. Since it’s the holiday season you should take him out of the city for a bit. Normally it’s not allowed but around the holidays the energy in the UG is at it’s peak. You could take him to America, or you could come visit us! Or you could take the safe route and just go to a nice spa.”

Neku smiled. Nothing seemed to phase Charmain and every problem was fixed with love. He began typing and paused when he heard Joshua in the apartment above. A door slammed, the sound of water running started, and a series of heavy footsteps followed.

“Yeah,” Neku typed back, “I could try it. I don’t know if he’ll go for it but there’s nothing wrong with trying.”

“That’s the spirit! Oh! Before I forget, can I sign you up for the UG Christmas party and gift exchange? Since you’re new it’s a good way to network and make friends outside of the computer. There’s a twenty-five dollar limit on the present but I’m sure you could find something wonderful in Shibuya.”

He wasn’t sure about it, but he typed, “yeah, send me the details in an e-mail and I’ll get back to you.”

“Alrighty! I’ll see you later!”

Neku clicked the exit button and shut his laptop down before closing it. He looked up at the ceiling and took a deep breath. A week ago he had tried to transport to Joshua’s apartment and hit a wall. It didn’t surprise Neku when he still felt it.

“Well,” he said aloud, “I guess there’s the hard way…”

He left his apartment and took the elevator one floor up. The wall didn’t extend to the hallway. Neku stepped off the elevator and stood in front of Joshua’s door.

“Oi, Joshua!”

Obviously there was no response. Neku began knocking on the door, quietly at first, but when it was ignored he started pounding on the door with his fist. He must have stood there for a solid five minutes, banging discordantly on the wood.

Finally the door flew open. “Go. Away.”

Joshua was unkempt. His hair was half wet and sticking up while he stood dripping in a too large bathrobe. A puddle had started forming beneath him on the tile of the entranceway.

“Josh, we gotta talk. You’re acting like no one else was hurt.”

“It was my decision that ultimately hurt everyone,” he said, turning from the door. “If you want to come in, come in. But I’m not talking to you.”

“Okay,” Neku entered the apartment and shut the door quietly, “I’ll take what I can get.”

The apartment was a mess. There were papers in stacks and boxes beside them. It looked as if Joshua had been digging around for information in archived documents. The paper was old and faded, and some of the books in the boxes were handwritten. In the kitchen was a pile of coffee cups, and strewn around the apartment was various pieces of clothing.

Neku reached out to place a hand on Joshua’s shoulder. “Hey, I’m here if you need me.”

“I know,” Joshua replied. He pulled the robe tighter. “I just wish to be left alone.”

“C’mon, Josh.” He stepped closer to the Composer and put his other hand on Joshua’s arm. “You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to but…don’t shut me out, okay? It’s never done us any good.”

Joshua scratched at his hair. “I was in the middle of a shower.”

“Go finish up. I’ll straighten up the apartment.” Neku squeezed Joshua’s shoulder. “Are you hungry? I could get you some take out…”

“Composers don’t need food,” he said, and walked away from Neku without another word.

Neku exhaled. At least Joshua hadn’t thrown him out of the apartment. He set about picking up the random bits of clothing to pile them into an empty box. There was a hamper in the bathroom but Neku didn’t want to bother Joshua. When the clothes were picked up, Neku stacked the coffee cups into the dishwasher and started it up. He washed the counters and checked the fridge. There wasn’t much in the way of food.

The plants on the balcony were turning a bit brown. Neku took a pitcher of water and gave the thirsty plants a large drink.

Other than the clothes and cups, there wasn’t much mess in the apartment not connected to the papers. Neku didn’t want to pry into Joshua’s research, and he certainly didn’t want to mess up Joshua’s method of sorting things in piles.

He could hear the shower still running. It had been at least half an hour since Joshua had returned to the bathroom and Neku was one-hundred percent certain the Composer should have been clean. Neku still didn’t want to bother him but Neku didn’t know what else to do.

Normally-when Joshua was bothered by something other than Neku’s incompetence-the Composer enjoyed touch and super close physical contact. Neku had still not done anything outside of kissing, and Joshua had been more than accommodating to Neku’s sexual orientation.

Neku knew Hanekoma hadn’t seen Joshua in weeks either, which meant the Composer hadn’t had any physical contact in a while. Even though Neku’s never done the deed, so to speak, he was beginning to think it might be the only thing to bring Joshua out of his funk.

He didn’t want to have sex, but Joshua needed comfort.

Neku closed his eyes. He slowly removed his clothes and tossed them into the box with Joshua’s. It was five minutes before Neku had the courage to walk to the bathroom door, and another three before he entered.

Joshua was standing in the stream of hot water. It cascaded down his face and over the curve of his shoulders and back. The droplets clung to him before falling to the drain below.

He was beautiful. With his silvery hair sticking to his face and neck, and his gentle eyes closed to the water. Neku moved closer to watch Joshua’s chest rise and fall with breath.

Joshua noticed. His eyes fluttered open and he turned with a frown on his lips. But when he saw Neku was naked and shivering, the Composer’s bottom lip quivered.

“Neku, don’t tempt me.”

“I’m not-“ Neku swallowed. “I mean, I’m here for you, Joshua. If you need to…do anything…I’m here.”

The Composer didn’t move aside from looking Neku up and down. “Please, Neku. You don’t have to whore yourself out to me. I’ll be fine.”

“I’m not whoring myself out,” Neku hissed, highly insulted by the insinuation. “I…I want this.”

“No, Neku.” Joshua closed his eyes and let the water run down his face again. “Please leave.”

Neku clenched his hands into fists. He moved to stand behind Joshua. It was awkward and confusing, but Neku had enough knowledge to at least try. His fingers glided down Joshua’s sides to rest on his hips. When Joshua didn’t pull away, Neku rested his lips on Joshua’s neck. He held them there for a small moment, before trailing them over to Joshua’s right shoulder.

“Please, stop,” Joshua whispered. “Neku…”

“I…I want to do this…I…I’m not sure…I know what I’m doing.”

A laugh. “No, you most certainly do not.”

He’d never felt attraction before. He’d never felt sexual desire or the want to touch another person as he was touching Joshua right now. But it felt right. It felt good.

“Okay, yeah, I don’t,” he admitted. “Uhm, I don’t know much but kissing…”

Joshua laughed again. It wasn’t broken or discordant. “It’s your first time, isn’t it?”

Neku scratched the back of his neck. “No, not really. I mean, I’ve fooled around before but it didn’t really click or anything. I didn’t feel anything.”

Joshua ran his fingers over Neku’s eyes and immediately the sound of the shower and the warm water faded.

When Neku opened his eyes he was on a bed-his bed.

He was still clothed, and he was exhausted beyond all meaning of the word.

“Damnit,” he cursed and sat up to rub his temples. It was a stupid dream. He missed Joshua’s touch so much it had caused a stupid dream.

Neku should have known. They had a conversation before about how Neku was too young for anything but innocent kisses and they wouldn’t try anything until Neku was of age.

“I shoulda known,” Neku sighed. He wrapped his arms around his legs and placed his head against his knees. It made him feel stupid. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

The bed shifted under Neku and the sheets pulled against him.

Neku was certain he’d gone to bed by himself after knocking on Joshua’s door and getting no response. He slowly looked over at the other side of the bed.

A pale curve of a shoulder and a fluff of silvery hair peeked out from the checkered sheets. Joshua was sleeping deeply and his mouth hung open slightly as he breathed. “Neku.”

“Oh, wow,” Neku whispered. He didn’t want to wake the Composer. There were bags under Joshua’s eyes and his skin looked paler than usual. He had taken Rhyme’s ascention much harder than Neku had.

The bundle of sheets and pajamas moved and Joshua rolled onto his back. His eyes opened to stare at Neku. “Good morning?”

“No, not really,” Neku said. He reached out to pet Joshua’s hair. “I’m sorry.”

“I’m not sure how I managed to get in your bed.” Joshua leaned into the touch. “But I feel much better.”

Neku smiled. “I’m glad. Joshua-“

“I don’t want to talk about it. It will take time for me to understand,” he explained, sitting up. “But I will eventually be alright. Just stay by me.”

“I never left,” Neku said softly, “I’ll never leave you.”

Joshua smiled. He kissed Neku’s cheek and grinned. “I suppose now would be a bad time to tell you I saw what was in your heart.”

“You mean,” Neku swallowed hard, “the dream I was having?”

“You are too young,” he reiterated, “but in time I would love to hold you in my arms with more than just affection in mind.”

Neku nodded. “I know. It’s not right. Hanekoma said as much, too. For someone who’s not into sex, you two are beginning to corrupt me.”

Joshua giggled. “Neku, it isn’t corruption and you aren’t locked into one orientation. There are plenty of asexuals who have partnerships with sexual connotations. Just as there are plenty of people like me who have a single relationship. It doesn’t have to be all or nothing.”

“I guess that makes sense,” Neku mused. “I would like to, when you’re comfortable with it.”

“And maybe we can collaborate with Sanae?”

“I dunno if I wanna screw Cat.”

Joshua laughed brightly. “You wouldn’t be the one doing the screwing.”

Neku felt his face flush. He rubbed his temples. “Yeah, I don’t want to think about it.”

“If I could make time be still,” Joshua said, “I would freeze these moments between us. But the good thing about time is it is always moving. It will heal wounds and bring people closer. You won’t physically age, unless you want to, but time will still affect you.”

“I wish we could stop time.” Neku glanced outside the window. “Or maybe speed it up.”

Joshua slid from the bed. “Neku, if you move forward too quickly, you’ll miss all the little moments in between. Those are the moments that count.”

Neku smiled. “Yeah. I guess that means Chess Tuesdays are back on?”

“Yes,” Joshua nodded, “Chess Tuesdays are back on.”

“Maybe,” he paused, “maybe we could have Tin Pin Thursdays.”

Joshua leaned back into the bed to kiss Neku on the cheek. “We’ll see. I’m going to get dressed and you are going to order take out.”

“Yes, sir,” Neku teased.

He could still feel the tumultous energy in Joshua’s broken heart, but above it all was a beautiful, tinkling melody of peace and happiness.

Even though Joshua was against it, Neku wouldn’t have minded time being still.

At least, for a little while.


End file.
